A HOBY Workshop. Experiences and Opinions!A Student's PerspectiveHugh O'Brian Youth LeadershipMay 17, 2001 Community Leadership Workshop
Young Harris College, Young Harris, GA
HOBY's Mission Statement:To seek out, recognize, and develop leadership potential commencing with high school sophomores.
Purpose and Goals:- To encourage and assist members of this formative age group in their quest for self-identification and self-development.
- To interface these potential leaders with recognized leaders in business, industry, government, science, and education through give-and-take workshops using a question-and-answer format.
WelcomeI arrived at the Goolsby Center at eight AM, sharp. Mr. Mark Baker, the Union County High School counselor, greeted me. The student counselors (Stacie, Miriam and Patrick) were also there to welcome students. As I, and the other sophomores arrived, we were shown through the building. The Goolsby Center is a building located on the Young Harris College campus. It's a lovely brick-ish building with many classrooms, an elevated lecture hall, and an auditorium below.
Each student was given a HOBY CLEW t-shirt to wear. They were white with a black design (a hill with little student-people going up it, with the leader holding a sign). More students began to arrive, from the four surrounding counties; Fannin, Towns, Union, and White. We were directed to leave any belongings we didn't want to carry around all day in an empty classroom. We also waited there with the adult counselors, Mrs. Day and Mr. Thomas. While in this room, the twenty-eight students began to mingle, exploring the peers they had been recently introduced to. I noticed some definite lines, mostly amoung the people from the same places, but also according to the person's first impression. People tend to group among similar lines, no matter what, and the HOBY CLEW was no difference. As for myself, I found a group of girls that seemed rather talkative and interesting, and introduced myself. Crystal and Sarah were the two most outspoken girls, and they seemed to be similiar to myself, so I chatted them up.
OrientationAt nine AM, we all filed into the lecture hall. Patrick, one of the student counselors, welcomed us. He explained what was in store for us, to some extent, and told us a bit about Hugh O'Brian, the founder of HOBY. Hugh O'Brian is an actor and he once played Wyatt Earp on television. HOBY is the Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership organization. CLEW is a Community Leadership Workshop, a program done through HOBY. Roughly 20,000 high-school sophomores go through CLEW every year, and over 280,000 students have gone through it since its inception in 1988.
Patrick asked us who was sixteen. About seventy-five percent stood up. He then asked which of those could drive. Two or three of those standing sat down. Patrick asked who had a car. Four students sat down. Patrick's next question was who had driven to the CLEW that morning. One more person sat down. Patrick then got to his point - he took the car keys from those students left standing. Seems they didn't want anyone bolting in the middle of the seminar. Still, the students willingly gave over their keys.
After that incident, Stacie and Patrick showed us a rather unique aspect of a HOBY CLEW - the "cheers." We were shown a special hello; a round wave and a big "HI!" The second cheer we were taught was to stand up, form an "O" with our arms, and yell "Outstanding!" whenever we were asked "What do we think of [insert name]?" The third, and final, cheer was called "Dexterity Check." Whenever a counselor said "Dexterity Check," we had to clap five times, clap five times again, clap three times, clap three times again, and then do a swift hand movement chanting "Hoby's Great!" These cheers were supposed to teach us how to handle directions and think quickly.
Keynote AddressLamar Paris, the Union County Commissioner, was our "Keynote Speaker." He spoke to us about "Politics, Government, and Leadership." His first topic was answering "What makes a good leader?" He noted that strong morals, a "good" character, a steady work ethic, and being and all-around "good" person could inspire people to follow your example. Mr. Paris discussed the fact that we
need leaders, but, more importantly, we need
good leaders. He acknowledged that leaders are not fully good, and not fully bad. Leaders, he said, are capable of making both good and bad decisions, but people tend to remember the bad things more than the good ones. Mr. Paris also talked about his job as County Commissioner. He has only been in office for a little over two months, but he already sees that it is a lot of responsibility. Mr. Paris wants to see Union County grow and prosper under his guidance.
When Mr. Paris had closed his speech, the students were allowed to ask questions of him. I asked Mr. Paris what were his plans for the Commissioner office, and what he had found enjoyable about the position. He laughed and said that two months were hardly enough to judge what he "liked," but he did impart plans to build a new community center in Union County. Crystal asked Mr. Paris if he felt people were replanting enough trees after harvest/clearing. (This was a topic he had touched on briefly in his speech.) Mr. Paris answered that he felt that many were not replanting sufficient trees, and that we possibly needed stricter guidlines covering that. Cody asked how Mr. Paris felt about the leadership problems in Lumpkin County that had led to a large debt for that county. Mr. Paris replied that the root of the problem lay with a "bad" commissioner being elected to office. He urged us all to stay informed about candidates when voting, stating that it was our responsibility to ask questions and elect capable leaders. Jimmy asked if Mr. Paris thought that the country was merely going through a "bad" phase, or if it was actually declining. Mr. Paris said that he believed it was merely a phase and the reason many people believe that the country is in "decline" is that we hear more bad things than good things and then remember them. Mr. Paris ended by declaring that he forsaw the next pressing issue for our area would be water, keeping it clean and safe.
Table TopicsAt nine-thirty AM, we were divided into two groups of fourteen each. Each group went to seperate classrooms, accompanied by an adult counselor. My group's counselor was Mrs. Joy Day, who works at the college. We began with a "Table Topic" activity involving impromptu speaking. Each student would stand at the front of the class, alone. Then, they would select a number from one to eighty-one, this number corresponding with a topic listed on Mrs. Day's handout. They were then instructed to speak for three to five minutes on that subject.
The topics my group covered were:
- If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?
- What is your favorite movie and why?
- Who is your favorite person in the world?
- If you won the lottery, what would you do with the money?
- If you were the coach of a losing time, what would you say in a pep talk to your team?
- Is the US ready for a female President?
- What is your favorite show and why?
- What is the most pressing issue facing young people today?
- If you had to lose either your sight or your hearing, which would you choose?
- What qualities make a person great?
- How much money do you have to have to be rich and why?
- Is the US the greatest country in the world? Why or why not?
- Does salary reflect a person's value in society?
We honestly had some very good answers. The students who got tougher questions than "What is your favorite TV show," had some insightful views.
The Future of EducationAt a little past ten-thirty AM, we returned to the lecture hall. We were introduced to three new speakers: Dr. Bob Nichols, a math professor at Young Harris College; Petty Officer Brian Dobbs, a Navy technician and recruiter; and Terry Stewart, the Interim Vice-President of North Georgia Technical University.
Dr. Bob Nichols jumped right into his speech. He urged each of us to start thinking about our professions, now. Dr. Nichols pointed out that, while college is not for everyone, it does have many good points. Three points he emphasized were that college graduates make more money, on average; a college education is often a prerequisite for many fields, inluding law and medicine; and that college leaves you free to change paths and jobs, if you choose. But, the most important reason, to Dr. Nichols, was "You for the rest of your life." You must be with yourself all the time, with no breaks. An education will make your life more interesting and various, Dr. Nichols said.
The Navy recruiter, Petty Officer Dobbs, spoke about the values of education. He advised us to stay in school for ourselves, if no one else, and also to take harder classes. Petty Officer Dobbs told us that we were benefiting at least ourselves if we did such. Of course, Petty Officer Dobbs also discussed the military. He said that he felt the military was a good first step in life after high-school. Many people may not be ready for college, and the military is a good way to prepare for it. The military also pays for much, if not all, of your college tuition. Petty Officer Dobbs felt that the miltary could also put you on a much more direct path, in both college and life.
Terry Stewart, of North Georgia Technical University, began by imploring each of us to become life-long learners, taking many courses and classes to expand our knowledge. "Education is power," he said, and we must all use that power to full advantage. He shared a story in which he revealed an interesting thought - that the people around you, your classmates, your friends, and family, could very ikely be the future leaders and statesmen of the world. There's no telling how far you can go with the proper education.
During the BreakDuring the break, I had a brief discussion with Petty Officer Dobbs. I questioned him about the military. I asked him about his own experiences with the Navy, and what he liked and disliked about it so far. I also asked him about the application and college processes in the Navy and military in general. He was very friendly and open. Petty Officer Dobbs was very honest and encouraging, insisting that not all people were capable of joining the military, but that it had many benefits for those who could.
Lunch BreakI had lunch at the college cafeteria. It gave me a nice glimpse at the place I will be attending soon. Young Harris College has a lovely campus, and I enjoyed being there.
Survival of a Business in a Small Rural AreaOur speakers for this panel were: Richard H. Stancil, attorney at law; Cindy Henderson, the assistant general manager of a Holiday Inn Express located in Blairsville; and Debra Adams, the owner of Royal Treatment Salon in Young Harris.
Richard H. Stancil spoke briefly about people originating in smaller towns and counties and still being successful. Mr. Stancil felt that anyone could compete with anybody, anywhere, at any level, no matter where they were from. "Hard work," he said, "takes you places; as long as you are getting better all the time."
Cindy Henderson discussed her job as the assistant general manager of a Holiday Inn Express. She admitted that it was a tough job, but she was doing it because she loved it, not for the pay. Mrs. Henderson stressed the importance of education and certification in climbing the corporate ladder. Without higher education, other people can come along and take your place. Mrs. Henderson felt that it was better to be
overqualified than
underqualified.
The owner of Royal Treatment Salon, Debra Adams, talked about her own business. "We are what we settle for in life," Mrs. Adams stated. "Yeah, I still work hard... but I work
smart." She stated that only through hard work and service could a small business achieve success. Mrs. Adams pointed out that all people are interdependent on each other, and that each of us has some product or service to offer which other people can use.
"Power" Ball GameWe seperated back into our two groups at two PM for another activity in our classrooms. This activity was centered around a small ball. This ball was held by the person wishing to speak. While one person held the ball, no one else could speak. We had to indicate silently that we wished to have the ball, in order to speak. We operated with topics from the same list of the impromprtu speeches. This activity was done in order to teach us the dynamics of power and control.
Some of the questions we discussed and answered in the "Power" Ball Game were:
Q.
What makes a person successful?
A.
- Knowing yourself, being "you."
- Staying strong to your thoughts, feelings, and opinions.
- "Sometimes you have to eat a crap sandwich"
- "People come and go, but you'll always have yourself"
- All people are complex. Success comes from recognizing this.
Q.
What advice would you give to your parents?
A.
- "Leave me alone more."
- "I'm not you; quit trying to make me fit your mold."
- "Don't compare me to my siblings."
- "I'm me. Don't try to make me someone else."
- "Be a good friend, but know when to be a good parent."
Q.
What are your greatest achievements?
A.
- singing
- rodeo
- getting published
- knowing myself
- baby-crawling contest
- winning in cross-country
- making the basketball team
- "My biggest achievement is myself"
Wrap UpWe ended the workshop at three-thirty PM. Patrick gave us the URLs to the HOBY sites (http://www.hoby.com and http://www.gahoby.com/). We were also given certificates for attending the HOBY CLEW. We wrote personal thank-you notes to the sponsors and volunteers who helped make CLEW a success - Young Harris College, Union County High School, Kiwanis Club of Blairsville, Singleton Foods, Subway of Blairsville, PAWS Club - UCHS, Union County Bank, Appalachian Community Bank, Owenby Manufacturing Company, Lamar Paris, Dr. Bob Nichols, Petty Officer Dobbs, Terry Stewart, Richard H. Stancil, Cindy Henderson, Debra Adams, Mark Baker, Myron Turner, Stacie Collins, Patrick Thomas, Robert Murray, Joy Day, and Nelson Thomas.
Final ThoughtsOverall, I thoroughly enjoyed the workshop. It was interesting to interact with people from different areas and to hear what they thought. The fact that these people were my peers, yet they were able to discuss on an intelligent level made me very proud. The speakers were a bit lackluster, but I did gain a bit of knowledge about their perspectives.
I hope I can be involved in the CLEW for next year's sophomores. ^_^
